Working from home offers many advantages, both in terms of your daily work routine and your overall quality of life. But there are some potential problems that can come with working from home, especially if you don’t have a dedicated, well-organized office space, one of which is an increased risk of neck pain and stiffness.
Many conditions can cause neck pain, including underlying medical issues like arthritis or disc disease. But when it comes to work-related neck symptoms, muscle strain is more likely to be the cause.
As the most flexible part of your spine, your neck is subjected to all sorts of stress and pressure every day. In addition to moving in multiple directions, your neck needs to support the weight of your head, which can also lead to strain. Most neck strains are related to muscle strain, repetitive muscle use, stress, and pressure on the ligaments, tendons, and joints of your neck.
However, pain and stiffness associated with working from home are often easy to treat, but you need to act quickly before that little pain becomes a big, long-term problem.
What can you do to prevent neck pain while working from home?
Eliminate and even prevent neck pain. It only takes a little time and effort to support your neck to be healthy, flexible, and pain-free.
Here are four popular methods that work:
1. Use a Work Surface
It may be called a laptop, but that doesn’t mean you should use your lap as a desk. Having a sturdy work surface allows you to work with your arms bent in a more natural position, which helps reduce stress and strain on your shoulders and neck.
2. Move your monitor
Having a desk or work surface also allows you to position your monitor in a way that prevents you from constantly bending your neck while working. Ideally, keep your monitor at eye level or slightly lower. Add a bright light to prevent you from hunching forward to see your screen, and your neck will thank you for it.
3. Invest in a good chair
A comfortable couch or armchair may be an appealing place to sit for work, but it does nothing for your spine. Instead, look for a dedicated office chair that provides full spine support and a headrest that allows you to relax your neck from time to time. Make sure your chair also fits comfortably under your work surface.
4. Incorporate movement
One of the benefits of working from home is that you get to take regular breaks, and no one complains. Take advantage of that and get up from your chair every 20-30 minutes to stretch and walk around. Add some neck stretches like these to keep your neck relaxed and flexible.
If you already have neck pain, stretching exercises are one way to help relieve the pain. But you can also use a heating pad to relax tense muscles and over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications to reduce pain and irritation.
If these steps don’t work, you should contact your doctor, who can prescribe other non-surgical treatments to relieve pain and prevent more serious problems from developing.
